MEDIA CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE MANDINGOES
A WEB OF GOVERNMENT AND MEDIA CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE MANDINGOES
May 9, 2005
Author: A B Dolley (LIMINY)
Despite allegations of discriminatory practices in the registration process for the coming elections in October against Mandingoes by election registrars, the Liberian Government and the National Election Commission are yet to come out with any tangible explanation as to why the registrars are disqualifying people because of ethnicity. Sources close to NEC headquarter disclosed that senior officials at the National Election Commission have instructed the registrars to disqualify as many Mandingoes as possible to reduce any chance of Mandingoes’ influence in the new government.
The method, according to the source, is to set criteria that many Mandingoes are likely to fall prey to. “First they ask them for their name and if for example they say Mamadee, they are automatically disqualified from the process.” The source said further that the registrars are giving false registration certification receipts to Mandingoes, some of who cannot read or write. Varlee Kieta of the Red Light Market, acknowledged going through similar ordeal. “They asked me for my name, when I told them my name is Varlee, they told me that I was not a Liberian because I can’t speak English.”
Many observers believe the credibility of the election results will be questionable if the increasing reports of discriminatory practices by the registrars are not investigated and addressed. “It has reached to a point where if the government does not intervene it will drag us back to war,” said Karmoh Sheriff of Vai Town.
Though officials at the National Election Commission have denied any discrimination against Liberian Mandingoes, information gathered indicates that the registration process is fraudulent and discriminatory especially against Mandingoes. Sources closed to various registration polls in and around Monrovia say that discrimination is actually taking place at all polling stations. “As soon as they know that you are Mandingo, they refuse you,” one Gardnersville resident who prefers anonymity said.
In Monrovia, there have been reports of irregularities and discriminatory practices on the part of registrars toward Mandingoes. On Jamaica Road for example, Mamadee Fofana was denied the right to register simply because of his name.
Others think the registrars have not been trained to identify who is a Liberian; as a result they just used stereotypical judgment to determine eligibility. “We just came from a war in which Mandingoes were active participants and some of these registrars were either fighters or sympathizers to some of the warring faction. It is possible that the war sentiments are driving their decisions,” said James Jallah of Monrovia.
Also in the Gardnerville areas, several people from the Mandingo ethnic group were refused simply because of their name, or because they could not speak English. James Youboty, a Liberian writer living in Philadelphia said that religion is a factor. “I think it is wrong to single people out because of their ethnicity. I also think it has something to do with religion too. There are some people who believe that Liberia was founded on Christian Principles and they do not like Mandingoes largely because of their religion.”
Media Biases
The media, they say, is supposed to serve as a watchdog and is supposed to give positive direction to the populace in time of crisis. But the Liberian media has shown that it suffers from the same virus that has affected the rest of the country, tribalism. For example, when the news came out about the discrimination against Mandingoes, BBC Johnathan Palaylaye wrote that Mandingoes were flooding from Guinean into Liberia to register for the elections. Mr. Palaylaye, staying true to his journalistic style, gave the impression that all of the Mandingoes he wrote about were Guineans.
Jomah Kolleh, in a telephone interview from Voinjama, said “This is pure nonsense and ignorant. How can people believe that all the Mandingoes in Guinea will just leave their homes and come to Liberia to register for the election? These people are not ready for peace."
Abu Massalay of Sinkor thinks that only Mandingoes are being singled out as foreigners. “If a Gio, Mano, Kpelleh, Kissi or a Khran man comes from Guinea or the Ivory Coast, the next day that man is a citizen. Only Mandingoes are foreigners in Liberia all the time.”
A news story on the Analyst website also shows some of the media biases against Liberian Mandingoes. In the news story the Analyst repeats the same nonsensical belief that the late President Doe granted Mandingoes their Liberian citizenship. “Most Liberians think the government needs to take a firm stance on the question of Mandingoes whose Liberian nationality was duly recognized by slain President Samuel Kanyon Doe. Liberia’s history book mentioned the Mandingo tribe as one of the 16 tribes of Liberia but there have been questions as to why the tribe does not have a particular settlement in the country. It is also undisputedly argued that not all Mandingoes in Liberia are Liberians,” the Analyst wrote.
Also in its April 27, edition, the Analyst website alleged that Mandingoes have no settlement in Liberia. “What about the Quadou Gboni Mandingo Chiefdom in the Viojama District, Lofa County, and the thousands of Mandingoes that have settled in Nimba County and Bopolu before even Liberia was founded as a Nation? These people are not real journalists,” Garmadee sheriff pointed out.
Many Liberians believe the media have to redefine its role in post warLiberia. “The systematic hate messages in the media against Mandingoes if not curtailed will lead to big trouble. These kinds of irresponsible writing does not only undermine the peace process, but they perpetuate the falsehood we have been fed for a century. Moreover, it exposes the hatred some of those people who profess to be journalists have for other Liberians because of their ethnicity,” a Liberian, who prefers anonymity, said.
“It is reflected every day in their publication. For example, recently, a land dispute between two neighbors turned into a Christian-Muslim War. When all hell broke lose with both sides causing mayhem on each other, an ELBC broadcaster was airing hate messages against Mandingoes people. I do not know under what circumstances such misinformation and inflammatory pieces would be cleared for publication on the Analyst Website,” John Weedor, a journalism student at Temple University observed.
“It is very gross for some of us living in the United States to have any interest in investing our future in Liberia if we continue to read stories like the one Paylalaye wrote on the BBC website and the two recent news stories on the Analyst website, all in reference to Mandingoes. Some of us have just lived in the United States for only five or six years and we are not only permanent residents but also citizens eligible to vote in the world most developed country. While in Liberia, West Africa, where all black people including Mandingoes come from, stories about tribal difference and derogatory references to people because of their ethnicity surface in the media all the time, written by people who are supposedly journalists responsible to the people.” Soko Kanneh, a Liberian Youth Living in Philadelphia observed.
“It is hard to say, but could it be enviousness or something. It is a fear factor for some Liberians because they think the Mandingoes are forceful enough to win the election. As a result they are afraid to create a plain field, so they have to bring about some kind of obstacles to fairness,” Randolph Jabateh of New York said.
Another interesting twist to this voter registration process is that while some media commentaries have expressed disappointment about the lack of enthusiasm and low turnout among Liberians, they have ignored the fact that some Mandingoes who have exercised their constitutional rights have been denied. Media conspiracy? Government conspiracy? From all indications, it fair to say both.
May 9, 2005
Author: A B Dolley (LIMINY)
Despite allegations of discriminatory practices in the registration process for the coming elections in October against Mandingoes by election registrars, the Liberian Government and the National Election Commission are yet to come out with any tangible explanation as to why the registrars are disqualifying people because of ethnicity. Sources close to NEC headquarter disclosed that senior officials at the National Election Commission have instructed the registrars to disqualify as many Mandingoes as possible to reduce any chance of Mandingoes’ influence in the new government.
The method, according to the source, is to set criteria that many Mandingoes are likely to fall prey to. “First they ask them for their name and if for example they say Mamadee, they are automatically disqualified from the process.” The source said further that the registrars are giving false registration certification receipts to Mandingoes, some of who cannot read or write. Varlee Kieta of the Red Light Market, acknowledged going through similar ordeal. “They asked me for my name, when I told them my name is Varlee, they told me that I was not a Liberian because I can’t speak English.”
Many observers believe the credibility of the election results will be questionable if the increasing reports of discriminatory practices by the registrars are not investigated and addressed. “It has reached to a point where if the government does not intervene it will drag us back to war,” said Karmoh Sheriff of Vai Town.
Though officials at the National Election Commission have denied any discrimination against Liberian Mandingoes, information gathered indicates that the registration process is fraudulent and discriminatory especially against Mandingoes. Sources closed to various registration polls in and around Monrovia say that discrimination is actually taking place at all polling stations. “As soon as they know that you are Mandingo, they refuse you,” one Gardnersville resident who prefers anonymity said.
In Monrovia, there have been reports of irregularities and discriminatory practices on the part of registrars toward Mandingoes. On Jamaica Road for example, Mamadee Fofana was denied the right to register simply because of his name.
Others think the registrars have not been trained to identify who is a Liberian; as a result they just used stereotypical judgment to determine eligibility. “We just came from a war in which Mandingoes were active participants and some of these registrars were either fighters or sympathizers to some of the warring faction. It is possible that the war sentiments are driving their decisions,” said James Jallah of Monrovia.
Also in the Gardnerville areas, several people from the Mandingo ethnic group were refused simply because of their name, or because they could not speak English. James Youboty, a Liberian writer living in Philadelphia said that religion is a factor. “I think it is wrong to single people out because of their ethnicity. I also think it has something to do with religion too. There are some people who believe that Liberia was founded on Christian Principles and they do not like Mandingoes largely because of their religion.”
Media Biases
The media, they say, is supposed to serve as a watchdog and is supposed to give positive direction to the populace in time of crisis. But the Liberian media has shown that it suffers from the same virus that has affected the rest of the country, tribalism. For example, when the news came out about the discrimination against Mandingoes, BBC Johnathan Palaylaye wrote that Mandingoes were flooding from Guinean into Liberia to register for the elections. Mr. Palaylaye, staying true to his journalistic style, gave the impression that all of the Mandingoes he wrote about were Guineans.
Jomah Kolleh, in a telephone interview from Voinjama, said “This is pure nonsense and ignorant. How can people believe that all the Mandingoes in Guinea will just leave their homes and come to Liberia to register for the election? These people are not ready for peace."
Abu Massalay of Sinkor thinks that only Mandingoes are being singled out as foreigners. “If a Gio, Mano, Kpelleh, Kissi or a Khran man comes from Guinea or the Ivory Coast, the next day that man is a citizen. Only Mandingoes are foreigners in Liberia all the time.”
A news story on the Analyst website also shows some of the media biases against Liberian Mandingoes. In the news story the Analyst repeats the same nonsensical belief that the late President Doe granted Mandingoes their Liberian citizenship. “Most Liberians think the government needs to take a firm stance on the question of Mandingoes whose Liberian nationality was duly recognized by slain President Samuel Kanyon Doe. Liberia’s history book mentioned the Mandingo tribe as one of the 16 tribes of Liberia but there have been questions as to why the tribe does not have a particular settlement in the country. It is also undisputedly argued that not all Mandingoes in Liberia are Liberians,” the Analyst wrote.
Also in its April 27, edition, the Analyst website alleged that Mandingoes have no settlement in Liberia. “What about the Quadou Gboni Mandingo Chiefdom in the Viojama District, Lofa County, and the thousands of Mandingoes that have settled in Nimba County and Bopolu before even Liberia was founded as a Nation? These people are not real journalists,” Garmadee sheriff pointed out.
Many Liberians believe the media have to redefine its role in post warLiberia. “The systematic hate messages in the media against Mandingoes if not curtailed will lead to big trouble. These kinds of irresponsible writing does not only undermine the peace process, but they perpetuate the falsehood we have been fed for a century. Moreover, it exposes the hatred some of those people who profess to be journalists have for other Liberians because of their ethnicity,” a Liberian, who prefers anonymity, said.
“It is reflected every day in their publication. For example, recently, a land dispute between two neighbors turned into a Christian-Muslim War. When all hell broke lose with both sides causing mayhem on each other, an ELBC broadcaster was airing hate messages against Mandingoes people. I do not know under what circumstances such misinformation and inflammatory pieces would be cleared for publication on the Analyst Website,” John Weedor, a journalism student at Temple University observed.
“It is very gross for some of us living in the United States to have any interest in investing our future in Liberia if we continue to read stories like the one Paylalaye wrote on the BBC website and the two recent news stories on the Analyst website, all in reference to Mandingoes. Some of us have just lived in the United States for only five or six years and we are not only permanent residents but also citizens eligible to vote in the world most developed country. While in Liberia, West Africa, where all black people including Mandingoes come from, stories about tribal difference and derogatory references to people because of their ethnicity surface in the media all the time, written by people who are supposedly journalists responsible to the people.” Soko Kanneh, a Liberian Youth Living in Philadelphia observed.
“It is hard to say, but could it be enviousness or something. It is a fear factor for some Liberians because they think the Mandingoes are forceful enough to win the election. As a result they are afraid to create a plain field, so they have to bring about some kind of obstacles to fairness,” Randolph Jabateh of New York said.
Another interesting twist to this voter registration process is that while some media commentaries have expressed disappointment about the lack of enthusiasm and low turnout among Liberians, they have ignored the fact that some Mandingoes who have exercised their constitutional rights have been denied. Media conspiracy? Government conspiracy? From all indications, it fair to say both.
posted by Plucky @ 2:59 AM
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